Argumentative Essay Tips

Avoid emotional language.

Know the difference between fact and opinion.

Be aware of the other side of the issue in case you need to defend your position.

Use evidence and cite where it came from.

Great example

Argumentative Writing- To Persuade

Definition:  A reasoned, logical argument.  Demonstrating that the writer's position, belief, or conclusion is valid.  
Purpose:  To CONVINCE. Change reader's point of view, bring about some action on the reader's part, or ask the reader to accept writer's explanation.


What kind of an essay will this be? TAP
T= Topic
A= Audience
P= Purpose


Will we be THINKING or COLLECTING EVIDENCE?

Making Inferences

When you complete Inferences 1, move on to the next link.  Do this until you have completed Inferences 1-6.

Inferences 1
Inferences 2
Inferences 3
Inferences 4
Inferences 5
Inferences 6

What Would Your Memorial Look Like?

Shelby Roskelly

If someone were to create a monument of my life, it would be about my kindness toward others.  It would show many acts of kindness.  These are examples:
Ever since I started Middle School, I always I saw this girl sitting by herself but I never did anything about it until the beginning of February. The first thing I did to try to get to know her was give her a Valentine's Day card/candy.  After that I would talk to and sit by her at lunch.  Sometimes I would smile at her in the hall.
Another example of kindness was when I was about 7 years old. My family and I were at one of our neighbor's houses because they were having a party there.  My little brother was only 4 and didn't quite know how to swim.  He was on the swimming pool's steps while my friend and I were racing across the swimming pool.  He decided to try and swim.  Since he couldn't swim he started to panic.  I quickly went over to him and picked him up out of the water.  After that he thanked me for helping him.

Maddi Zollinger

If someone were to memorialize me, I would want them to remember me by my willingness to help and support others.  Everybody needs their little rock, their base that keeps them grounded and not just floating away.  I would love to be remembered for helping orphans in Haiti find a home.  If they don't get a home, I would just be a piece of their base that loves them.

I would like my memorial to be of me holding hands with everyone so they know that I'm there for them.  I hope that people will understand this and support me.

Katrina Fronk

If somebody made a monument of me, it might be about my love for my family.  I would rather be home with them than anywhere else.  They are the most important thing to me.

My family has helped me to be courageous, and I have had to stand up and defend my family from verbal assaults.  The thought of them gives me strength, and eventually I will do something worth making a monument out of because of my love for my family.  It would probably look like me, sitting with them under a tree.

Mackay Baugh

If I were memorialized, it might have a scholar or historian. 

Courage Unseen

Does courage always require overt acts of bravery? What are other ways of thinking about courageous characters? Write your responses to the questions in your journal and share them with a partner. 

Then, work with classmates to create your own class blog post about unrecognized courageous characters, either in literature or real life. 

Courageous vs. Cowardly Characters

Create a Venn diagram in your journal of a courageous character compared with a non-courageous, or cowardly, character. The difference between courageous and cowardly characters may seem obvious, but are there ways in which these characters are similar? Discuss your insights with a partner.

Discussion:  Courage vs. Recklessness, courage= bravery + character.

How Do We Memorialize People and Actions?

How do we memorialize courageous people and actions? Examine each of these memorials. In the case of the Lincoln Memorial and the Iwo Jima Memorial, consider how the figures are portrayed and presented. How does this approach compare to the Washington Monument and the Vietnam War Memorial, which do not include images of people? How do these approaches differ from preserving someone’s home as a monument, as in the case of Frederick Douglass? 

If someone were to memorialize your life, what would it look like?

Google Docs- Teacher

docs.ccsdut.org